(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thin film transistor array panel and a method of manufacturing the thin film transistor array panel, and in particular, a thin film transistor array panel and method of manufacturing the same having improved corrosion resistance which provides a benefit of enhanced reliability of the thin film transistor array panel.
(b) Description of the Related Art
A liquid crystal display (“LCD”) is one type of flat panel display which is widely used. The liquid crystal display includes field generating electrodes which generate an electric field, and a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween. In the liquid crystal display, a voltage is applied to the field generating electrodes to generate an electric field in the liquid crystal layer. The electric field determines the alignment of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer and a polarization of incident light is thereby controlled to display an image. Typically, a thin film transistor (“TFT”) controls signals transmitted to the field generating electrodes.
The thin film transistor is used as a switching element which either transmits or does not transmit image signals through data lines to pixel electrodes according to scanning signals transmitted through gate lines.
A corrosion-free connection between a flexible printed circuit substrate and an integrated circuit (“IC”) and a pad of a circuit portion of a thin film transistor substrate is desired to apply an appropriate voltage to the thin film transistor and to ensure reliable communications between the thin film transistor and the IC. Currently, however, when the flexible printed circuit substrate and the IC are connected to the pad of the circuit portion of the thin film transistor substrate, there is a problem in which a metal of connection portions of the pad of the circuit portion of the thin film transistor substrate corrodes.